


How to Wash a Dirty Ginger

by AngelWithAStory



Category: Critical Role (Web Series), Critical Role: Wildemount Campaign (Web Series)
Genre: Bathing/Washing, Developing Relationship, Fluff and Humor, M/M, No episode spoilers, Pranks and Practical Jokes, fjord/caleb in the second chapter, jester finally SNAPS, pure concentrated fluff, the dirty hobo gets a little less dirty
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-19
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-06 19:18:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,294
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13417923
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AngelWithAStory/pseuds/AngelWithAStory
Summary: Caleb was no stranger to rude awakenings.But being woken up with a bucket of cold water was a first.SPOILERS FOR NEXT CAMPAIGN.





	1. Operation Bath Time

**Author's Note:**

> okay so slight spoiler for the newest ep  
> the part where Marisha thought that 'dirty ginger' meant her and being confused because beau was brunette was honestly the _funniest_ moment of my life
> 
> also, I started writing this in the break and I am slowly but inevitably sliding towards both beau/yasha and fjord/caleb HELL so feel free to join me on this ride, I'm [queenmoggy](http://queenmoggy.tumblr.com/) on tumblr :P

Caleb was no stranger to rude awakenings.

There were many nights that ended with hurriedly fleeing his small camp and many mornings when the faint sounds of footsteps on the forest floor would send him into a panic, running before fully breaking camp.

But that was when he was alone.

When ( _fate, destiny, the stars, the Gods_ ) circumstances threw Nott his way, and when they came to the unspoken, mutual decision to stay together, something had shifted. It took a while, but eventually Caleb learned how to be around another being again. He learned to trust someone other than himself again. He learned how to pour out his feelings into a few words, how to decode them, how to trust the person saying them.

Nott gave Caleb the sense of trust he had lacked for so long he’d forgotten how painful it was to be afraid. When Nott was around, Caleb learned how to make an early warning system; he made sure to keep them safe.

Maybe that’s why being woken with a bucket of water being tipped over his head felt like a little bit of a betrayal.

The water was just cold enough for Caleb’s lungs to spasm and to send him immediately into a fit of coughing. He sat up in his bed and tried to take in as much information as he could in a few seconds.

_He was still in his bed at the inn._

_He was not wearing his jacket._

_There was a dagger in his hand._

_Nott was looking at him, wide-eyed._

_She was not wearing her mask._

_Jester was in the room._

_She was holding a bucket in her hands._

_She looked pleased_.

_He was soaked to his skin._

“You’re awake!” Jester said. She had a light and pleasant tone to her voice, as if Caleb hadn’t almost been thrown into a panic attack, and as if he wasn’t brandishing a knife.

“I’m so sorry, Caleb, I tried to stop her but she was determined and at least I saved your books!” Nott said, rambling slightly as her jitters got the better of her.

“My books?” Caleb muttered, his brain running a million miles an hour to keep track of everything around him.

“You’re a heavy sleeper, so I took them off and put them on the other side of the room. Because I know how much they mean to you, and I know that you usually keep them close and I didn’t want them to be ruined-” Nott’s voice was picking up its pace and Jester cut through the noise ruthlessly.

“You needed a bath, Caleb. It has been days since we’ve been stuck in this inn and you have still not bathed. Your smell is getting unbearable.” Jester left no room in her words or her posture for apology and Caleb knew it would be a _long_ wait for one.

When his brain had finally caught up, he quickly tucked his dagger back into its sheath. He smoothed back his sodden hair from his face and looked up to meet Jester’s gaze.

“I _firmly_ get the message.” Caleb said. He had the smallest upturn of his mouth that only Nott could really read as a smile.

“Great! Now go for a bath.” Jester said, promptly turning on her heel and exiting the room. The bucket swung with the motion of her arm as she half-skipped out of the room and closed the door behind her.

A second later, the door swung open again as Jester popped her head around the door.

“Oh! And Fjord has some clothes you can borrow, because yours are filthy as well.”

The door closed again and Caleb didn’t really know what to do with all the knowledge that had been thrown into his lap (which honestly, was a bit of a first for him).

Caleb stood and went to the full washbasin beside the fireplace. Something told him that Jester had set up the whole affair, and that she had been planning this for at least a little while.

Methodically, following some almost-forgotten ritual, Caleb stripped off his tunic and began to scrub the dirt from the worn fabric with the cheap bar of soap beside the basin. He kept his back to Nott (though really they had patched each other up in worse states of dress), and he wasn’t paying much attention to anything but the work in front of him.

Very quietly, he heard Nott clear her voice behind him.

“Caleb?” She said, drawing his undivided attention to her, “are you mad at me?”

“Of course I’m not mad at you,” Caleb said, twisting his body so he was facing her more.

“Are you mad at Jester?” Nott asked.

“I’m a little annoyed she woke me up, but I suppose she had a point.” Caleb said. Nott stayed quiet, but her body language seemed marginally more relaxed than it was a moment ago. “If we’re going to be around these people for at least a little while, then I guess it’s only fair that I raise my hygiene standard. _And_ in a more civilised setting, it would attract less attention if I didn’t look like we had just spent months travelling through the woods.”

“So we’re… okay?” The tension in Nott’s shoulders was looser now and Caleb smiled. He wet his hand in the basin and flicked a few drops of water at her.

“We’re okay.” Caleb promised. Nott finally smiled and the air in the room let go of that last piece of tension. “Why don’t you and Frumpkin go downstairs and get some food?”

 

One plate of various meats and a few shots of whiskey later, Caleb came downstairs to the dining area. His hair was a still a little wet and curled outwards at the ends, and the borrowed clothes were much looser than he was accustomed to with his own style, but he had to admit that he felt better. Admit it to himself, that is. He wasn’t going to give Jester the satisfaction.

As soon as he sat down beside Nott, the reaction from the others was immediate.

Beauregard and Molly simply frowned; Fjord took a long, conspicuous drink from his tankard; Jester beamed proudly, looking around the table to see the reactions.

“Has your hair always been that colour?” Beau asked, leaning forwards on the table just a little to inspect all the differences she could see. “And since when do you have _freckles_?”

“I’ve always had freckles,” Caleb said, taking the drink that Nott pushed in front of him and patting her shoulder reflexively, “Sure, they’re a little faded right now but...” He trailed off, awkwardly taking a drink. Even at the best of times, Caleb didn’t like being the centre of attention.

“You, er, you could do with a little trim around the beard, my friend.” Molly said, gesturing on his own face to where all the stray hairs and unkempt lines were mirrored on Caleb’s.

“Now you’re just pushing your luck.” Caleb said, placing his drink back on the table. Absently, his hand curled around his chest and touched one of the books in its holster.

“What made you finally change your mind?” Fjord asked, finally putting his drink down and trying to mold his features into one of innocence. But the clothes Caleb was currently wearing (and the fact that Fjord didn’t seem surprised) spoke _volumes_ of his involvement in Jester’s nefarious plan.

“The choice was taken out of my hands.” Caleb said, a faint smile on his face.

“Meaning?” Molly prompted.

“Meaning that I spilled a bucket of water on his head to wake him up!” Jester proclaimed proudly.

Beau was instantly in peels of laughter, followed quickly by a more subdued Molly. Quickly, Beau was asking for a run down of the event and both Jester _and_ Nott were telling the story, feeding off each other’s energy to make the plan sound ten times more elaborate than it was.

Caleb watched the two of them, still with the faint smile on his face. He took another sip of his drink and looked up.

Fjord’s gaze met his. His shoulders lifted up very slightly, and for some reason, it came across as some form of apology. But Caleb’s smile just grew a little wider, in his own silent forgiveness. He tilted the glass in the tiniest, most private toast, and Fjord smiled in return.


	2. Operation Post-Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It had been many months since they had all met, and months after Yasha had found them and stayed beside them.  
> Many, many months of laughter and trials and bickering and travelling and fighting both terrible and not-so-terrible creatures.  
> It had been many, many months since Caleb and Nott had decided to stay with this small band of lunatics (some would say, against their better judgement).  
> Neither of them could ever say they really regretted it. At least not yet.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got part way through writing this and I realised it could easily have been a separate fic but oh well.  
> also the teen rating is probably overkill but there is nudity in this chapter

It had been many months since they had all met, and months after Yasha had found them and stayed beside them.

Many, many months of laughter and trials and bickering and travelling and fighting both terrible and not-so-terrible creatures.

It had been many, many months since Caleb and Nott had decided to stay with this small band of lunatics (some would say, against their better judgement).

Neither of them could ever say they really regretted it. At least not yet.

And only a little bit after the first encounter that shook the party to the core at how clearly and precisely it brought them to terms with their own mortality. Not enough for the two of them to sneak out under the cover of darkness, but enough for the thought to sound tempting, especially as they trudged up the stairs to their room in the inn they were currently residing in.

The night had long since descended and they were only a few hours off morning, by the time they had made it back to the inn. All that the majority of the group could really care about was going to bed.

However, just as Caleb was going to follow Nott into their shared room, a hand settled solidly on his shoulder and stopped him.

“Caleb, can I have a moment of your time?”

Fjord sounded as tired as the rest of them felt. His clothes were a little scuffed up from the fight and his wounds were still fading from the remnants of Jester’s magic. The wound on his face was joined by a small new scar just above his eyebrow.

“Of course.” Caleb said, “Just give me a minute to hang my coat above the fire.”

“Of course.” Fjord said. He let his hand fall back to his side and Caleb slipped inside the room.

Nott has already curled up on the bed and Caleb gently shook her shoulder. She roused and blinked up at him, trying to bat his hand away before rolling over and promptly falling back asleep.

He thought better of trying to wake her again, so instead, Caleb took a moment to take her shoes off, place them beside the bed, and pulled the sheets over her shoulders. Her mask was still affixed to her face, so he carefully removed it. Usually, he would be more cautious when leaving her in a room alone without him, but Caleb just tucked the sheets around her in such a way to obscure her face if you were to poke your head around the door to glance inside.

More out of instinct and residual fear and adrenaline from the fight, Caleb leaned down and placed a light kiss on her forehead. He didn’t want to start thinking about how many close-calls they’d had that night.

Nott’s breathing was deep and even, and she started to snore when Frumpkin settled down on the bed next to her, purring loudly.

It wasn’t until Caleb was satisfied that those two would stay asleep, at least for a little while, that he turned away from the bed and stripped off his outer coat. He tucked Nott’s mask into one of the pockets as he folded it and placed it on the end of the bed.

Some little voice inside his head told him that it would be better if he left his books in the room, and he couldn't find it in himself to really argue. The books and their holster joined his jacket on the end of the bed.

Caleb made sure to lock the door as he stepped back into the hallway (he knew distantly that if Nott wanted to leave the room, she could easily pick the lock, but for his own peace of mind, it was enough), but as soon as he stepped away from the door, he realised he was alone.

“Fjord?” Caleb asked. He didn’t call out, because he was smarter than that. Still, he knew a trap when he saw one.

“YASHA NOW!”

Caleb tried to either avoid or fend off the incoming attack, but Jester’s voice gave him enough pause, which gave Yasha enough time to storm down the hallway and throw Caleb over her shoulder without breaking her stride.

Jester appeared in the hallway, looking pleased with herself. He couldn’t see her face, but Caleb imagined Yasha also looked quite pleased with herself. Or maybe she just looked furious and apathetic.

“I’m sorry, Caleb, but you are filthy and you need a bath!” Jester called after him.

“She’s not.” Yasha said, slowly down her pace just a little but still moving effortlessly down the corridor.

“I know. She’s done this before.” Caleb said, “I’m sorry you got mixed up in this.” he said quietly.

“Well your stench was starting to get to me too.” Yasha said, and now Caleb knew that she probably looked pleased with herself.

They didn’t talk until Yasha pushed open a door and unceremoniously dumped Caleb on the floor of the washroom. She gave him a stern look and stared him down as she shut the door with a firm _slam_.

When Caleb looked up, he met Fjord’s eye as he sat on a stool beside one of the plain, metal bathtubs the inn provided.

“Good evening.” Fjord said playfully.

“Was everyone in this group a part of this little plan?” Caleb asked, picking himself up off the ground. He realised that the bathtub was already filled with hot water.

“Well, it was Jester’s idea. She just needed some help putting it into action.” Fjord admitted.

“Yasha’s guarding the door, isn’t she?”

“Yes she is.” Fjord said. “I mean, I already drew the bath. Promise I won’t look.”

Caleb thought about it for a moment before his exhaustion fully settled in and a hot bath sounded quite nice.

“Alright. Turn around.” Caleb said, waiting patiently for Fjord to physically twist himself around so his back was facing him.

Even then, Caleb turned towards the wall as he stripped off his clothes. Despite travelling for as long as they had (and growing pretty comfortable with each other and even a few incidents involving nudity - some accidental and some very much on purpose) Caleb was still quite a private person.

It was an old habit that was proving very hard to bend or break.

The last article of clothing hit the floor and Caleb glanced over his shoulder. Fjord was still dutifully looking away from him. Carefully, Caleb padded over to the bathtub and slipped under the hot water. It was a little too hot, but he knew that it would cool down soon enough.

“Can I turn around now?” Fjord asked. Caleb could see from his vantage point that Fjord had his eyes closed as well.

“If you fancy it.” Caleb said, sinking slightly lower into the water so he was mostly submerged.  

He watched Fjord stand and walk around the edge of the bath. Fjord threw a glance at Caleb and smiled when all he could see was Caleb’s eyes follow him around the room. Those eyes followed him as he picked up the pile of Caleb’s clothes and brought them over to where a large basin had also been filled with warm water.

“You don’t have to do that Fjord, I can take care of it.” Caleb said, raising himself out of the water just a little. The air in the room felt so much colder now.

“Might as well save a bit of time while we’re here.” Fjord said.

There was something final in his tone so Caleb didn’t really argue further. He let himself slip into the water a little deeper, letting the water soak the tension out of his sore muscles.

There was a bar of soap and a cheap square of cloth on a table beside the bath. Caleb took the hint and started running the soap and the cloth over his skin. It wasn’t scented, but it was enough to scrub the scent of battle from his being. His hair took a little more persuading to run clean, but he did his best.

Still, as he worked the cloth over his face, he watched Fjord as he scrubbed away the worst of the dirt from Caleb’s clothes.

When Fjord was apparently satisfied with his work, he hung the clothes up on a rack mounted to the wall. There was something delicate about how Fjord handled the fabric and Caleb was entranced.

“Fjord,” Caleb’s voice felt echoing in the room with only the two of them.

This _something_ between the two of them still felt new and vulnerable. Whenever they had acted on it, it was been wonderful and electric and _worth it_ , but it still felt difficult to accurately put words to.

This _something_ was something that Caleb wanted to keep going for as long as he was allowed.

Fjord turned to look, and Caleb lifted his hand from underneath the water. There was a little smile on Fjord’s face as he sat down on the stool and grasped Caleb’s hand.

“You’re worried about something.” It wasn’t quite a question, but Caleb had grown to be good at learning Fjord’s small tells. There were very few people that that statement could apply to.

“It’s nothing.” Fjord said, holding Caleb’s hand and tucking the stool a little closer to the bath.

Caleb could have wasted words trying to convince Fjord to open up. He could have tried to push the right words and the right confrontation.

He did neither.

Instead, Caleb just waited until Fjord was ready to talk about it.

“That last fight…” Fjord said eventually, looking down at the floor, “that last fight was almost a disaster. We were a few wrong moves from losing someone.” Was what he said. _From losing you_ , was what he left out.

“But we pulled it back.” Caleb said, squeezing the other’s hand tightly.

“I know we did. And I know that now we can do better, but it’s still hard to let go of that fear.” Fjord admitted. He lifted his eyes and met Caleb’s and Caleb could see the weight of the world pressing down on his shoulders.

“You aren’t the only one that’s scared.” Caleb said, sitting up a little.

Fjord leaned forwards and rested his forehead against Caleb’s, still clutching his hand tightly. Caleb’s hair was sticking to his face and his neck, small droplets falling to meet the rest of the water. For a moment, the infrequent drips and their slow breathing were the only sounds in the world.

“We’ll get better.” It was a promise that passed Fjord’s lips, “we’ll grow stronger, and we’ll get better.”

“We will.” Caleb whispered, tilting his chin up just enough to meet Fjord’s lips.

There was no heat in the kiss, but there was warmth. All the words they couldn’t say passed between them and when they broke apart, Caleb could feel his exhaustion in his bones.

“It’s very late. We should go to sleep.” He said quietly, shivering just a little as the cold air passed over his damp skin.

“Do you want to stay in my room? Let Nott sleep?” Fjord asked, finally pulling away so he could grab a towel for Caleb.

“That’s very kind of you.” Caleb noted, falling back into an old joke between them. “I think I’d like that.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I technically finished this fic in the same 24hr period, taking a very long sleep between the first and second chapter :P
> 
>  
> 
> ~~anyone else reminded by my perc'ahlia fic? I think i've found a niche~~

**Author's Note:**

> Caleb and Nott are only the biggest sources of joy in my life rn so I will N E V E R stop writing them.  
> also, the next chapter will be after a big time-skip and be very fjord/caleb-centric because I make the rules now when it comes to extrapolating canon >:)
> 
> (also I know the in the official art Caleb doesn't have freckles but they can Fight Me because there isn't a ginger alive that doesn't at least have a little freckle when they're in the sun a lot)


End file.
